Top High School Physics Students Qualify for the 2013 U.S. Physics Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECollege Park, MD, May 10, 2013—When it comes to physics, the United States still trains some of the world’s best high school physics students. Those students comprising the 2013 U.S. Physics Team will be training and competing in College Park, MD, next month as they prepare for the 44th International Physics Olympiad this July in Copenhagen, Denmark.

An elite group of students from across the U.S. has emerged through a rigorous exam process that began last January with 4,435 students who participated in the Fnet=ma exam to qualify for the opportunity become a member of the 2013 U.S. Physics Team.

These students will continue to train for the mentally grueling exams and lab tests they'll face at the 44th International Physics Olympiad to be held from July 7 – 15, in Copenhagen, where student scholars from more than 90 nations will test their knowledge in physics, competing with the best in the world. Over the past eleven years, every U.S. Physics Team member traveling to the international competition has returned with a medal. Five members of the 2013 team are returning from last year.

The members of the 2013 U.S. Physics Team (in alphabetical order) are:

"The competition for a position on the U.S. Physics Team is intense and each student who participated in the 2013 selection process is deserving of recognition. They are the future of America's success in physics related fields. AAPT is honored to recognize the exceptional scholars who qualified for the team and to support their further participation in the International Physics Olympiad,” said Dr. Beth A. Cunningham, Executive Officer of the American Association of Physics Teachers.

An integral part of the U.S. Physics Team experience is the training camp. Most of the students invited to the camp are the top science student in their high school. For many, it is their first chance to meet other students who are truly their peers. The training camp is a crash course in the first two years of university physics. Students learn at a very fast pace. They have an opportunity to hear about cutting edge research from some of the community’s leading physicists. At the end of the training camp, five students will be selected to travel to Denmark for the international competition.

List of Events May 28 — 2013 Physics Team members and coaches arrive at the University of Maryland for their intensive training campMay 29 — Welcome Reception at the University of MarylandJune 5 — Congressional VisitsJune 7 — Five students will be chosen to represent the U.S. Physics Team at the international competitionJune 30 — Traveling Team and coaches arrive at the University of Maryland for mini-campJuly 7 — Traveling Team and coaches depart for DenmarkJuly 7-15 — The International Physics Olympiad in Copenhagen, DenmarkJuly 15 — Team departs for home

About the International Physics OlympiadAAPT began the program in 1986 to promote and demonstrate academic excellence. The International Physics Olympiad (IPHO) is a nine-day competition among pre-university students from more than 90 nations. The 2013 Olympiad will be held in Copenhagen, Denmark, from July 7-15.

U.S. Physics Team SelectionAAPT is responsible for recruiting, selecting and training the U.S. Physics Team each year to compete in the IPHO Competition. This selection process begins in early January when high schools register their students to participate in the Fnet=ma exam. Approximately 400 top scorers on this first test advance to the Semifinal round of competition.A second exam is used as the basis for selection of the 20 members of the U.S. Physics Team. In June these students will travel from schools all over the United States, to the University of Maryland-College Park for the U.S. Physics Team Training Camp. There, they engage in nine days of intense studying, mystery labs, daily exams, and problem solving.

At the end of that training camp, five students and an alternate will be selected as the "Traveling Team" to represent the United States at the IPhO. In July, the Traveling Team and their coaches will attend a three day Mini Camp of intense laboratory work before moving on to the IPhO.

Funding and SponsorshipFunding for the U.S. Physics Team is supported through donations from concerned individuals and organizations. Contributions are entirely used to support the selection, training, and travel of the team. Donations to the U.S. Physics Team are accepted at www.aapt.org/physicsteam/2013/donate.cfm.

About AAPTAAPT (www.aapt.org) is the premier national organization and authority on physics and physical science education —with members worldwide. Our mission is to advance the greater good through physics teaching. To this end, AAPT provides our members with numerous opportunities for professional development, communication, and student enrichment. We serve the larger community through a variety of programs and publications. AAPT was founded in 1930 and is headquartered in the American Center for Physics in College Park, Maryland.

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